Impact guard

ABSTRACT

A guard is disclosed for a door-locking device for preventing improper opening of the door through the application of forceful impact against the door latching mechanism.

United States Patent [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,033,806 3/1936 Baker 292/33 2,188,703 I] l 940 Burke 70/82 2,233,028 2/1941 OConnor.. 292/19 3,074,750 1/1963 Craig 292/3363 Primary ExaminerJames A. Leppink Assistant Examiner-Edward J. McCarthy Attorney-Richard N. Miller ABSTRACT: A guard is disclosed for a door-locking device for preventing improper opening of the door through the application of forceful impact against the door latching mechanism.

Patented April 20, 1971' I 3,575,450

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. ALBERT F. LANG ATTORNEY Patented A ril'zo, 1971 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 H V A INVENTOR. ALBERT F. LANG ATTORNEY IMPACT GU i This invention relates to an impact guard for a locking device having a shiftable bolt for holding against movement a door-latching mechanism having an exposed portion thereof which projects outwardly from the door. The impact guard is particularly well suited for use on school lockers.

In buildings and schools where locked cabinet space is provided, locking devices having a shiftable bolt for holding the door-latching mechanism against movement are usually provided. Such locking devices are usually of the master key opening type because they are quiet and facilitate control of all cabinets by the superintendent, foreman, custodian, principal, or other person having the master key. The keyopening locking device is generally positioned on the front face of the door and manipulation of the key can move the shiftable bolt from a locked to an unlocked position or vice versa. In the locked position, a shiftable bolt extends through an opening in the vertically reciprocable latching bar of the door-latching mechanism to hold the bar in the down or locked position. A particularly satisfactory key-opening locking device which is in widespread use on locker cabinets is the key-controlled permutation lock described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,031,876 to Foote et al.

While the foregoing key-opening locking devices are preferred for use on school lockers for the reasons set forth above, such locking devices are subject to damage when force is applied to the projecting portion of the latch mechanism as by kicking. Sharp blows on the projecting portion of the latching mechanism render the bolt of the locking device inoperative or ineffective, e.g., the casing of the locking device cracks adjacent the bolt-holding section, and the locker is subject to unauthorized entry. Damage to the locking devices is a particularly serious problem for school administrators because the locker users or their parents request the institutions to pay for items stolen from the lockers, and the damaged locks must be replaced at considerable cost.

To obviate this problem, the newest lockers have been designed with recessed actuating members which are not subject to being kicked or with handles which serve to shield the exposed portion of the actuating member. Another proposed solution to the problem has been to use a detachable padlock-type device to secure the exposed portion of the actuating member to an immovable projection on the door and to serve as a shield to the actuating member. However, such padlock devices have been only partially effective because impact on the padlock device has itself caused the latches to be released from the keepers, thereby permitting unauthorized entry. Further, the padlock-type devices are considered unsatisfactory because they tend to be noisy and not amenable to central control. Therefore, short of replacing, at great expense, the old lockers with new, "kickproof" lockers, no satisfactory solution to the problem attendant the older lockers has been found.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an impact-resistant bumper for preventing the application of kicking force against the exposed portion of the latching mechanism of the older lockers subject to said problem.

A further object of the invention is to provide an impact guard which is easy to install, quiet and devoid of any projection likely to cause injury to a passing person.

in accordance with the invention an impact guard or bumper has been developed which is inexpensive, easy to manufacture, and compatible with the latching mechanisms of many different types of lockers in a manner which suggests that the guard is part of the original locker design. The objects and advantages of the invention will be better understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. I is an isometric view of a preferred embodiment of the impact guard;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the impact guard illustrated in FIG. 11;

FIG. 4 is a right side view in partial section of the impact guard illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of another embodiment of the impact guard;

FIG. 6 is an isometric view of still another embodiment of the impact guard;

FIG. 7 is a front view, partially in section, of a locker showing the impact guard in combination with a door, a latching mechanism having an exposed portion extending outwardly from the door, and a shiftable bolt locking device;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the locker of FIG. 7 showing the locker door in the opened position to reveal the rear portion of the door and part of the latching mechanism;

FIG. 9 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 9'9 of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 10 is an enlarged front view of the impact guard and the exposed portion of the door locking mechanism of FIG. 7.

Referring to FIGS. 1-5 of the drawing, a preferred impact guard or bumper l is shown having first and second sidewalls 3 and 5, integral means 7 connecting the sidewalls and flanges 9 and Ill extending from each sidewall. An aperture 13 is provided in each of flanges 9 and II to accommodate means for attaching impact guard l to a cabinet door.

The impact guard l is provided with reinforcing members I5 and 17 to insure rigidity and thereby maintain sidewalls 3 and 5 in substantially parallel relationship. It is a feature of the preferred embodiment that the edges 19 and 21 of sidewalls 3 and 5 adjacent flanges 9 and I1 are continued in the plane of the flange surface 20 while edges which are removed from flanges 9 and Ill are recessed at 23 from the flange surface 20 to enable the guard to be mounted over a portion of the door latching mechanism which it is to protect. While the recessed portions 23 are designed to fit over a right-angle flange on the door-latching mechanism, it should be understood that recessed portion 23 may be inclined to the vertical, e.g., hypothetical portion 23a (shown in broken lines), to accommodate the tapered flange used on some latching mechanisms.

The sidewalls 3 and 5 of impact guard I are generally triangular in shape. In the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 1- --5, the shape is generally right triangular with the right angle being formed between the top edge of the guard and the edge adjacent the surface of the door. The angle opposite to the edge adjacent the surface of the door is rounded in order that the projecting surface 29 formed by the integral connection of sides 3 and 5 will not be likely to injure any person bumping into the projection. To avoid sharp edges and the dangers inherent with such edges, sidewalls 3 and 5 are slightly tapered at the point of maximum projection of the guard from the surface of the door. Further, the edges 31 and 33 formed where the sidewalls 3 and 5 join integral connection means 7 are rolled or rounded.

The dimensions of the impact guard or bumper are usually determined by the dimensions of the exposed actuating member of the latching mechanism. In many latching mechanisms, the handle of the cabinet functions as the exposed actuating member and in other latching mechanisms, a trigger associated with the handle serves as the actuating member. Therefore, the distance between the sidewalls, i.e., width, and the distance the impact guard projects from the surface of the door, i.e., height, will substantially correspond to the width of the handle and the distance the handle projects from the cabinet door in order to achieve a built in" or integral appearance-The length of the impact guard from top to bottom is also determined with reference to the handle. Generally, the dimensions of the impact guard fall within the following ranges: from about three-sixteenths to Binches in width; three-eighths to 1%inches in height; and seven-eighths to 3%inches in length. The preferred dimensions are approximately at the midpoint of the foregoing ranges.

Alternate embodiments are depicted in FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. 5 illustrates an alternate embodiment wherein the shape of the sidewall 5 can be semicircular. That same FIG. depicts the use of a guard having an edge 23 which is a continuation of flange surface 20, not recessed as in FIG. I. Also, flanges 9 and 11 are shown extending along the sidewalls for about one-half the length of the bumper. FIG. 6 depicts a still further embodiment wherein the sidewall 5 is generally triangular in shape and corresponds generally to the shape shown in FIGS. 1-5 with the exception that the right angle of the triangle is formed between the bottom of the side and the adjacent surface of the cabinet door. In addition, edge 23 is inclined from the vertical to correspond to edge 23a in FIG. 4.

In FIGS. 7-10, the impact guard I is shown in combination with a hinged door 35 of a standard-type locker 37. Fasteners 38 secure the impact guard I to door 35. A preferred fastener is a metal screw having a one-way head, e.g., a screw in which the head is formed with a portion thereof cut away adjacent the driver slot so that it can only be turned clockwise. Cap means may be used to cover the end of the screw that protrudes from the inside of the door to eliminate sharp protrusions. The locker 37 and the latching mechanism are of standard construction so that only certain particular features thereof are set forth. The latching mechanism comprises a vertically reciprocable latching bar 39 within the free edge of locker door 35 which is raised and lowered by operating in vertical slot 49. The trigger actuating member 41 connected to latching bar 39 by fasteners 43 so as to bring the upper shoulder of slots 45 into and out of latching engagement with latch dogs 47 fixedly mounted on the frame portion of the locker adjacent the vertical margin of the door. The latch dogs 47 carry resilient doorstop bumpers which are not shown. On the exterior of the door is mounted flanged handle 48 for opening and closing the door which is attached to the door by securing bolts 49. Also mounted on the door is the masterkey-controlled permutation lock 51 described in US. Pat. No. 3,031,876 to Foote et al. The lock casing 53 is secured adjacent the inner face of the door 35 with securing bolts 55 and carries an internal mechanism which controls a lock bolt 57 that projects through a vertical slot 59 in the latching bar 39. The shiftable bolt 57 may be either vertically or horizontally reciprocable within slot 59 and may be of the dead bolt or spring-loaded type. When the shiftable bolt is located in the lower end of slot 59, it will block vertical movement of latching bar 39 By using impact guard I in combination with a door 35, shiftable bolt locking device 51, and a latching mechanism having an exposed trigger portion 31 projecting outwardly from the door, it is not possible to apply forceful impact to the exposed portion 41 to crack the casing of the locking device and thereby spring the latch or render the bolt imperative.

The impact or bumper guard may be made of metal or impact-resistant plastic resins. Suitable metals are aluminum, steel, magnesium, zinc, and alloys thereof. Suitable plastic materials include both thermosetting and thermoplastic resins having high impact resistance. Satisfactory thermoplastic resins include cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate butyrate, nylon, polycarbonate, polyethylene, polypropylene, tetrafluorethylene and vinylidene chloride resins. Satisfactory thermosetting resins include epoxy, polyester and silicone resins. Use of plastic materials is advantageous because such materials can easily be colored to produce impact guards in assorted colors which match or contrast with the cabinet colors. In fabricating the impact guards, the various materials may be cast, molded, drawn or stamped. The particular fabricating technique used will vary according to the material being processed.

While the invention has been described with reference to certain embodiments thereof, it is not intended that such embodiments shall be limitations on the scope of the invention. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that other modifications and variations of the invention can be made and various equivalents substituted therein without departing from the principles disclosed. claim:

1. An impact guard for a door-locking device having a shiftable bolt for holding against movement a door-latching mechanism having an actuating member projecting outwardly from the door whose bottom portion is exposed to direct application of vertical forceful impact which comprises a rigid, impact-resistant bumper not integral with a door handle and adapted to underlie the projecting member for preventing application of vertical forceful impact against said bottom portion, said bumper having first and second sidewalls, integral means for connecting said sidewalls in spaced relation, and aperture means adapted to receive fastener means for holding said guard to the door.

2. An impact guard in accordance with claim 1 wherein said aperture means comprise an apertured flange extending outwardly from each sidewall.

3. In a locker, the combination of a door, a latching mechanism for said door having an exposed actuating member projecting outwardly from said door whose bottom portion is exposed to direct application of vertical forceful impact, a locking device having a shiftable bolt for holding the latching mechanism against movement, and an impact guard not integral with a door handle underlying said actuating member to prevent application of vertical forceful impact against said bottom portion, said impact guard comprising a bumper having first and second sidewalls, integral means for connecting said walls in spaced relation, aperture means adapted to receive fastener means, and fastener means adapted to enter said aperture and hold said guard to said door.

4. In a locker, the combination as claimed in claim 3 wherein said aperture means for receiving said fastener means comprises an apertured flange extending outwardly from each sidewall.

5. In a locker, the combination as claimed in claim 4 wherein said sidewalls are spaced in substantially parallel relation, each of said sidewalls has a portion remote from said flange which is spaced from the surface of said door, and said guard is mounted over a portion of said door handle.

6. In a locker, the combination as claimed in claim 5 wherein said fastener means is a metal screw having a one-way head.

7. An impact guard in accordance with claim 2 wherein said sidewalls are spaced in substantially parallel relation.

8. An impact guard in accordance with claim 7 wherein each of said sidewalls has a cutaway portion remote from said flange whereby said sidewalls are adapted to be spaced from the surface of the door to allow said guard to be mounted over a portion of the door handle.

9. An impact guard in accordance with claim 7 wherein said sidewalls are generally triangular in shape.

10. An impact guard in accordance with claim 9 wherein said sidewalls are spaced from about three-sixteenths to l /ainches apart and the height of said bumper from the surface of said door is from about three-eighths to l%inches. 

1. An impact guard for a door-locking device having a shiftable bolt for holding against movement a door-latching mechanism having an actuating member projecting outwardly from the door whose bottom portion is exposed to direct application of vertical forceful impact which comprises a rigid, impact-resistant bumper not integral with a door handle and adapted to underlie the projecting member for preventing application of vertical forceful impact against said bottom portion, said bumper having first and second sidewalls, integral means for connecting said sidewalls in spaced relation, and aperture means adapted to receive fastener means for holding said guard to the door.
 2. An impact guard in accordance with claim 1 wherein said aperture means comprise an apertured flange extending outwardly from each sidewall.
 3. In a locker, the combination of a door, a latching mechanism for said door having an exposed actuating member projecting outwardly from said door whose bottom portion is exposed to direct application of vertical forceful impact, a locking device having a shiftable bolt for holding the latching mechanism against movement, and an impact guard not integral with a door handle underlying said actuating member to prevent application of vertical forceful impact against said bottom portion, said impact guard comprising a bumper having first and second sidewalls, integral means for connecting said walls in spaced relation, aperture means adapted to receive fastener means, and fastener means adapted to enter said aperture and hold said guard to said door.
 4. In a locker, the combination as claimed in claim 3 wherein said aperture means for receiving said fastener means comprises an apertured flange extending outwardly from each sidewall.
 5. In a locker, the combination as claimed in claim 4 wherein said sidewalls are spaced in substantially parallel relation, each of said sidewalls has a portion remote from said flange which is spaced from the surface of said door, and said guard is mounted over a portion of said door handle.
 6. In a locker, the combination as claimed in claim 5 wherein said fastener means is a metal screw having a one-way head.
 7. An impact guard in accordance with claim 2 wherein said sidewalls are spaced in substantially parallel relation.
 8. An impact guard in accordance with claim 7 wherein each of said sidewalls has a cutaway portion remote from said flange whereby said sidewalls are adapted to be spaced from the surface of the door to allow said guard to be mounted over a portion of the door handle.
 9. An impact guard in accordance with claim 7 wherein said sidewalls are generally triangular in shape.
 10. An impact guard in accordance with claim 9 wherein said sidewalls are spaced from about three-sixteenths to 1 1/4 incheS apart and the height of said bumper from the surface of said door is from about three-eighths to 1 3/4 inches. 